The Arthur Haynes Show. Arthur Haynes. Copyright: Associated Television.

Arthur Haynes

Arthur Haynes was an English comedian best known to British audiences as the star of The Arthur Haynes Show, a comedy sketch series produced by ITV from 1956 until his death from a heart attack in 1966.


Featuring a full 158 episodes over 14 series, the show was hugely popular in its time, starring Haynes in all his pomp alongside Nicholas Parsons. It was written by Johnny Speight.

Arthur Haynes was born in London, the only child of a Fulham baker. From humble beginnings, his professional career began inauspiciously, taking on a number of small part-time jobs including painting, plumbing and joinery until the outbreak of the Second World War. When conflict struck, he became an entertainer, putting on shows for the troops while serving with the Royal Engineers during the war, alongside fellow comedian Charlie Chester, who has many an anecdote to tell about Haynes' antics at the front line of battle.

Chester and Haynes were part of the British Army's concert party troupe Stars in Battledress, and once the war was over, they continued to work together on the BBC radio series Stand Easy], forming a successful double at.

Haynes' ATV series The Arthur Haynes Show, networked on ITV, made him the most popular comedian in the entirety of Britain. His most famous character here was a working-class tramp, created by Johnny Speight, now better known for the Alf Garnett character. According to Speight, the idea came from a real tramp who climbed into his Rolls Royce when it was stopped at a traffic light. Early set design was limited, due to reduced budgets, but as the show gained traction they could afford larger, more expansive, and more elaborate backdrops. The stars sometimes forgot their lines, and would ad-lib them. There would also be frequent musical guests, such as the Springfields, Kenny Ball and his Jazzmen, and the Rolling Stones. Many shows ended with Haynes driving a horse and cart along a narrow country lane, whistling and (unconvincingly) playing the harmonica. The show made household names of Arthur Haynes and Nicholas Parsons, and also gave early appearances to several actors who would later become very successful indeed, including Michael Caine in 1962.

Haynes would win the Variety Club's award as ITV Personality of 19612 and appeared on the Royal Variety Performance in that same year. In 1963 he released the novelty songs "Not To Worry" and "Looking Around".

Haynes died of a heart attack on November 19, 1966 in Ealing, at the age of 52. He had just appeared on The Ed Sullivan Show in America, where he had met actors such as Cary Grant.

Thursday 14th May 1914
Saturday 19th November 1966 (aged 52)

Known for


Year Production Role
2011 Me & Arthur Haynes Self (Archive Material)
1961 Arthur Haynes Entertains Self
1960 The Arthur Haynes Show - Series 6 Various

Non-comedy TV and film credits might be found here:
Arthur Haynes on IMDb

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